[Author Prev][Author Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
[Author Index (this month)][Thread Index (this month)][Top of Archive]

Re: OT: The Columbia

Subject: Re: OT: The Columbia
From: Janice Gelb <janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 03 Feb 2003 14:55:29 -0800


Jan Henning wrote:


| I understand that there's no other alternate
| procedure for re-entry.

In principle, there are variosu alternate procedures:

- Repairing the damage in space

- Taking refuge in the ISS

- Transferring to another shuttle

In this concrete case, however, none of these procedures would have been available:

- None of the astronauts was trained in working outside the shuttle, and there weren't any thermal tiles on board anyway.

- The Columbia couldn't dock at the ISS. (Don't know if it would have been reachable with available fuel.)


(1) The ISS is at a different altitude and the shuttles can't
maneuver once they've been shoved to their desired altitude.
They can only go down.

(2) They didn't have a docking ring for the ISS.

- As far as I know, no emergency shuttle was available. (But maybe they could have prepared one had the seriousness of the damage been known right after the start?)


Even beside the fact that they probably wouldn't have had
time to prep another shuttle and put together another crew,
see your previous point about having to be trained in an
EVA maneuver. A specific maneuver takes a really long
time to practice.

Requiescat in pace.

-- Janice


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Buy or upgrade to RoboHelp X3 today and receive the WebHelp
Merge Module for FREE ($299 value). RoboHelp X3's all-new
features include conditional text, completely re-engineered
printed documentation output, Context-sensitive Help Toolkit,
single-source layouts, and more!
Order online today at http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l


---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


References:
RE: OT: The Columbia: From: David Downing
Re: OT: The Columbia: From: Jan Henning

Previous by Author: Re: When Satire Attacks
Next by Author: Re: Describing buttons and fields
Previous by Thread: Re: OT: The Columbia
Next by Thread: RE: OT: The Columbia

[Top of Archive] | [Author Index (this month)] | [Thread Index (this month)]

What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:

Sponsored Ads